Mets Select Former Jackson Ace Zach Crotchfelt in 2026 MLB Draft

Zach Crotchfelt left Jackson for Auburn University in the summer of 2022 expecting his next baseball stop to be a Major League organization three years later. It turned out there were several more stops necessary to reach his destination, but his college baseball road has led him back close to home.

One month after contributing to Troy University’s Cinderella run to the College World Series, Crotchfelt got the call from the New York Mets, who selected the 6-foot-4 left-hander and former Jackson Memorial High School ace Sunday in the 14th round of the 2026 Major League Baseball First-year Player Draft.

Crotchfelt was the 17th pick of the 14th round and 420th selection overall in the draft, which began with the first four rounds on Saturday and was completed on Sunday.

Crotchfelt entered his sophomore year at Jackson Memorial already verbally committed to pitch at Auburn following a strong showing in 13 innings as a freshman in 2019. The 2020 season was canceled because of the COVID pandemic, but Crotchfelt made up for lost time by earning a spot on the All-Shore First Team in each of his final two seasons and also winning Shore Sports Network’s Pitcher of the Year Award as a Senior in 2022.

After going undrafted out of Jackson Memorial, Crotchfelt made his way to Auburn to pitch in the ultra-competitive Southeastern Conference (SEC). In his first go-round in major college baseball, Crotchfelt showed flashes of his promise while producing mixed results on the mound. He logged 41 2/3 innings and sported a 5.62 earned-run average with 45 strikeouts and 25 walks.

With a healthy dose of experience and plenty of positive performances upon which to build, Crotchfelt returned to Auburn for his sophomore year in 2024. Injuries significantly limited him and in just 7 1/3 innings, he allowed five earned runs on 10 hits and six walks while striking out six.

Following the trying 2024 season at Auburn, Crotchfelt transferred to Texas Tech and struggled while pitching out of the Red Raiders bullpen. In 13 appearances, including one start, he pitched to a 9.17 ERA in 17 2/3 innings with 28 hits and 10 walks allowed while striking out 15.

With one more year left to prove himself, Crotchfelt again opted for a change of scenery, albeit back in the state in which he started his college career. Crotchfelt chose Troy University in Alabama and it turned out to be the ideal ending for his college journey.

Pitching out of the Trojans bullpen as a multi-inning reliever, Crotchfelt went 7-3 with a 3.49 ERA in 67 innings while allowing 66 hits, 23 walks and striking out 81. More than those year-long numbers, Crotchfelt endeared himself to his teammates with his performance during the postseason — both in the Sun Belt Conference Tournament and the NCAA Tournament that followed. In both tournaments combined, Crotchfelt pitched 21 1/3 innings, sporting a 4-1 record and a 1.26 ERA while striking out 23, walking five and allowing 17 hits.

Troy survived an NCAA Region after dropping its opener to Miami by running off four straight wins over Rider, Miami and two over Florida to shock the College Baseball world to not only reach the Super Regional round, but to host it against Little Rock. Crotchfelt picked up wins on back-to-back days against Rider and Miami in elimination games, including 4 1/3 scoreless innings of relief against the Hurricanes.

After disposing of Little Rock in two games, the Trojans marched on to the College World Series in Omaha, with Crotchfelt throwing two scoreless innings in a 12-2 game one rout. Crotchfelt suffered his only loss of the postseason in Troy’s opener vs. West Virginia, during which Crotchfelt worked 3 1/3 scoreless innings before surrendering the tie-breaking two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning.

Troy bounced back by knocking off Ole Miss, 12-8, two days later, with Crotchfelt pitching a perfect ninth inning with two strikeouts. After surviving as one of the final six teams in the country, Troy bowed out in another loss to West Virginia.

With his postseason performance at Troy, Crotchfelt regained the confidence that helped him dominate while at Jackson Memorial. As a junior in 2021, the left-hander went 5-1 with a 0.85 ERA with 76 strikeouts and 16 hits and 23 walks allowed in 41 1/3 innings. He followed that up with a 9-2 record and 1.18 ERA in 65 1/3 innings, including 131 strikeouts against 30 walks. That strikeout total of 131 led all of New Jersey in 2022.

For good measure, Crotchfelt was also an impact hitter in his final high-school season, hitting .359 with six doubles, three home runs and 27 RBI, including a home run off current Los Angeles Dodgers prospect Cam Leiter in a head-to-head pitching match-up between the two pros.

Crotchfelt is the fifth player from the 2019 Jackson Memorial team to be drafted, joining Alex Iadisernia, Ryan Lasko, Zach Rogacki and Matt Potok.